New Delhi: With the general election just around the corner, governance issues remained uppermost on the minds of the Urdu press this week, with an editorial in Roznama Rashtriya Sahara worriedly observing how reduced intervention by the Narendra Modi government means greater individual responsibility in critical areas such as employment and health.
This editorial on 6 March said that there have been “significant changes” in politics and governance under Modi’s leadership in the past decade, driven primarily by communalism and the increased influence of money. The government’s maxim of “minimum government and maximum governance” is “against Islamic principles of governance and duties”, the editorial said.
“This shift implies greater individual responsibility in areas like livelihood, employment, health, and education, with diminished reliance on government support,” it said.
Besides this, editorials intensely debated activities in various Indian parties ahead of polls, Pakistan’s recently conducted polls, and the Supreme Court’s various rulings in the last few months.
Here’s a round-up of the major news that kept the Urdu press abuzz this week.
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General election
As expected, the upcoming polls and activities in various political camps remained foremost in the minds of the Urdu press.
Siasat’s editorial on 7 March dwelled on the importance of Priyanka Gandhi in the Congress. Often regarded as the true successor of the late Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi, Priyanka wields significant influence among the public, the editorial said.
“Over the past five years, she has actively engaged in Uttar Pradesh politics, advocating for various issues, from the Hathras incident and farmers’ struggles. With the possibility of her contesting elections, there is optimism that her presence will bolster the electoral prospects of the Congress party, especially in states like Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP is dominant,” it said.
Despite this, however, the editorial saw the Congress’s tie-up with the Samajwadi Party as crucial for better electoral outcomes. “Priyanka Gandhi’s active participation and vigorous campaigning are anticipated to play pivotal roles in this endeavour,” the editorial said.
In its editorial on 4 March, Sahara analysed BJP’s first list of 195 candidates, saying 34 of its sitting MPs and several new faces have been given a chance.
“The interesting thing is that the BJP has trusted those who recently joined it from other political parties a few days ago, such as former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda’s wife Geeta Koda,” it said. “Interestingly, in the first list of candidates, Muslim candidate Abdul Salam from Malappuram, Kerala, has found a place, but many Muslim leaders trying for tickets in Uttar Pradesh have been disappointed,” it said.
On 2 March, Siasat’s editorial continued to analyse the BJP’s preparation for the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP, it said, wants to divide Muslims and secular votes so that it can gain political advantage and a third consecutive term. For this, the BJP is using those people against whom there are corruption allegations, the editorial said.
“For this, the BJP has also activated its auxiliary elements… Most believe that these elements are forced to become pawns at the hands of the BJP and are compelled to indirectly help the BJP avoid legal action and help conceal their dark deeds. They have no other option,” it said.
In its editorial on 8 March, Sahara said that the Election Commission of India had deployed 920 companies of central forces for the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal — the highest in any state. These forces have begun arriving in the state even before the election is announced and schools and colleges in the state have been closed to accommodate them, the editorial said.
But the Mamata Banerjee government cannot take action against this because it is the Election Commission’s responsibility to conduct peaceful and impartial voting in the state, the editorial said.
Pakistan
On 4 March, Siasat‘s editorial commented on Pakistan’s regime change after last month’s election, saying that governance is difficult in the country regardless of who rules it.
The onus, it said, is now on the new prime minister Shehbaz Sharif. The good thing is that Sharif and the Pakistan Muslim League (N) have been able to resolve their differences with the country’s powerful military, it said.
“Resolving these differences benefited both sides, resulting in the military’s support for Shehbaz Sharif and his party. If the military remained neutral, it wouldn’t have been easy for Shehbaz Sharif or other parties to restrain or defeat Imran Khan. It will be crucial to see what plans Shehbaz devises with the military’s support for the betterment of the country,” it said.
Courts and government
The Urdu press also commented on the importance of an independent judiciary to a constitutional democracy. This comes in the light of Ajaya Krishna Vishvesha, a former judge overseeing the Gyanvapi dispute, being appointed as the Lokpal of Dr Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University on 1 March — just after his retirement.
“A robust court is immune to legislative pressure and upholds integrity and impartiality. However, today’s judiciary is deviating from this standard. Not only lower and subordinate courts but even the higher judiciary cannot be kept out of this,” Sahara said in an editorial on 7 March.
This came two days after another one of its editorials applauded the Supreme Court of India for a well-thought-out decision on a cash-for-vote case. Earlier this week, a seven-judge bench of the Supreme Court held that MPs and MLAs cannot claim parliamentary immunity for taking bribes in connection with a speech or vote in Parliament or a state assembly. This ruling overturned a 1998 ruling that held that legislators could enjoy immunity from prosecution under Article 105 of the Constitution when it came to matters involving their speeches or votes in Parliament.
The latest case involved bribery allegations against Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MLA Sita Soren.
“In that ruling, Justice Bharucha (future Chief Justice of India S.P. Bharucha, who was part of the majority judgment) acknowledged the seriousness of the alleged crimes but emphasised the need to uphold parliamentary participation and debate. This decision marks a significant departure from previous precedent,” the Siasat editorial on 5 March said.
(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)
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